5 facts about notaries

Notaries are qualified lawyers whose role is to oversee the certification of signatures on legal documents for use abroad. But did you know that they are the oldest branch of the UK’s legal profession? Here are some other facts about notaries you might not know.

1. When in Rome

The profession of notary dates back to Roman times, with the first known notary being a man called Tiro, who developed a system of shorthand, called ‘notae’ in Latin, for recording the speeches of Cicero. Notaries then moved on to take notes of legal proceedings. However, their origins have been traced back as far as Ancient Egypt, where scribes chronicled important documents such as official proclamations and tax records.

2. Church Connection

Once they were church officials who were appointed by the Roman Catholic Pope. Today in the UK, they are regulated by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Faculty Office.

3. Today’s Notaries

According to The Notaries Society there are around 800 notaries in the UK, who combine this role with their job as a solicitor or barrister or do it on its own. A notary’s acts are normally used abroad, so they are trained in both English law and foreign law, allowing them to act as a bridge between two different legal systems.

Common tasks that a notary carries out include authenticating foreign wills, dealing with the estates of people who live abroad and preparing powers of attorney to be used overseas. They also authenticate documents for immigration and emigration and deal with land or property purchases abroad.

If you are looking for any of these notary services London, there are many firms such as https://bridgelawsolicitors.co.uk/notary-services-for-individuals/london/ who can help.

4. Personal Touch

Each notary has their own seal which is personal to them and used to verify a document’s legitimacy for use overseas. Alongside their signature, these are registered with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

5. Notable Notaries

As the role of notary has been around for thousands of years, there are several famous notaries, including William Shakespeare, author Mark Twain, singer Jennifer Lopez and actor Stanley Tucci.